Agents UI
Alacritty is the minimalist — fast, no tabs or splits, pair it with tmux. Kitty is fast too but includes tabs, splits, and scripting out of the box.
At a glance
| Feature | Kitty | Alacritty |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS, Linux | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Built for AI agents | No | No |
| Multi-agent orchestration | No | No |
| Built-in SSH | Yes | Yes |
| Splits / panes | Yes | No |
| GPU acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| Persistent sessions | No | No |
| MCP support | No | No |
| Scripting SDK / API | No | No |
When to choose Kitty
You want a fast terminal that still includes tabs, splits, and scripting without a multiplexer.
Kitty strengths
- GPU-accelerated with a rich remote-control protocol
- Kittens extend functionality (image preview, SSH, diffing)
- Native splits, tabs, and layouts
When to choose Alacritty
You want the leanest possible terminal and already live in tmux.
Alacritty strengths
- Extremely fast and lightweight
- Cross-platform and simple
- GPU-accelerated rendering
How Agents UI compares
If your work centers on AI coding agents, it's worth weighing a third option. Agents UI is an open-source macOS terminal built specifically to run agents like Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI — with multi-agent orchestration, SSH, and a Python SDK in one workspace. Explore the best terminals for multi-agent workflows to see where it fits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kitty better than Alacritty?
Alacritty is the minimalist — fast, no tabs or splits, pair it with tmux. Kitty is fast too but includes tabs, splits, and scripting out of the box.
When should I choose Kitty?
You want a fast terminal that still includes tabs, splits, and scripting without a multiplexer.
When should I choose Alacritty?
You want the leanest possible terminal and already live in tmux.